U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona handily wins 6th term

John McCain, Arizona's 80-year-old Republican senior U.S. senator, on Tuesday easily won a sixth term, defeating Democratic challenger Ann Kirkpatrick despitewhat had been widely viewed as the toughest re-election bid of his career.

In defeating Kirkpatrick, 66, a three-term U.S. representative from Flagstaff, McCain, a former presidential nominee, navigated stormy political waters. He had been potentially vulnerable in both his Republican primary and a general election in which Donald Trump topped the GOP ticket.

"I’ve never been more honored by anything than the privilege of representing you in the United States Senate," McCain told supporters. "I’ve never taken it for granted, and I never will. I’m as grateful to you tonight as I was when you first elected me."

He also tipped his hat to Kirkpatrick for "running a spirited and honorable campaign. This office is worth a good fight, and she sure gave me one. I commend her, and wish her well."

McCain, who has served the past two years as Armed Services Committee chairman, becomes the first senator from Arizona elected to more than five terms since U.S. Sen. Carl Hayden, the seven-term Democratic giant who retired in 1969.

McCain, decried as too liberal by many Republicans and too partisan by many Democrats, was renominated in a contested Aug. 30 GOP primary.

But unlike his previous races, the general election looked like it could pose a challenge because of the volatile political atmosphere that led to the rise of Trump. Just as the celebrity billionaire is the ultimate political outsider, McCain is the consummate GOP establishment figure.

Cheryl Johnson, 70, a retired Arizona State University facilities manager, said she voted for McCain because of his experience working with both parties in the Senate, which will be needed more than ever because of the fractious presidential race.

“I felt an elder statesman was needed there and someone with the experience,” she said. “He could be the voice of reason on either side. I know John has taken a nonpartisan view to the situations he has been in and not been so hard core.”

No matter who wins the presidency, McCain “could be that balance,” she said.

Kirkpatrick thanked her supporters at Democratic Party headquarters.

"You worked your hearts out. We did more and did bigger and better than ever before," she said. "We didn't get the results we wanted in our races, but we're making progress."

Kirkpatrick's campaign relentlessly tried to tie McCain to Trump, despite the two Republicans' on-again, off-again feud during the past 15 months. It appeared Kirkpatrick's Trump-based attacks weren't particularly effective against McCain, possibly because he already had such a well-defined brand with Arizona voters.

Calling for term limits, Kirkpatrick also repeatedly accused McCain of changing over the course of his long career on Capitol Hill. McCain was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982 and won his Senate seat in 1986. Any long-serving politician runs the risk of losing touch with the electorate and overstaying his or her welcome with the voters.

For his part, McCain touted his seniority, stature and experience — and his role leading the influential Armed Services Committee — as a boon for Arizona.

Sen. John McCain, with his wife, Cindy, speaks to his supporters at his campaign headquarters in Phoenix on Aug. 30, 2016. McCain faced competition from Kelli Ward for his Senate seat in the Arizona Republican primary. Michael Chow/The Republic

U.S. Sen. John McCain shakes hands after speaking to his supporters at his campaign headquarters in Phoenix on Aug. 30, 2016. McCain faced competition from Kelli Ward for his Senate seat in the Arizona Republican primary. Michael Chow/The Republic

U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., caused a stir Monday when he promised that GOP senators would block any Supreme Court nominees that Hillary Clinton would propose if she were to win the presidency. Associated Press

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Kirkpatrick is the only member of Congress who voted for Obama's 2010 signature health-care law to run for statewide office in Arizona. As part of the "tea party" backlash to Obamacare, she lost her U.S. House seat in 2010 to Republican Paul Gosar, but returned to Congress after running again and winning in 2012.

McCain generally characterized Kirkpatrick as a rubber stamp for President Barack Obama. He also made an issue of her support of the White House-backed Iran nuclear deal, and suggested Kirkpatrick in the Senate would be a rubber stamp for a President Hillary Clinton, too.

Despite the hype about McCain being in the fight of his life, he opened a comfortable lead over Kirkpatrick almost immediately after sewing up his primary. At least nine publicly released polls conducted since the primary showed McCain with a lead of 10 percentage points or more. A few other polls showed a closer, single-digit race that still had McCain ahead.

Kirkpatrick didn't do much campaigning at public events or hold many media-friendly events until late in the race, mostly relying instead on TV advertising to attack McCain and raise her profile with Phoenix-area voters.

U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick speaks with supporters at a community event at El Portal restaurant in Phoenix on Friday, Sept. 16, 2016. Kirkpatrick is running against John McCain for his seat in the U.S. Senate. Ben Moffat/The Republic